The Faded Heart
by Tigerrose20
Summary: The girl normally pining after Garu's heart has suddenly begun to act strange right as scrolls from a mysterious master begin to resurface at the Goh-Rong. Can Garu figure out the connection? Or will his discoveries change his heart forever?
1. Chapter 1

Garu rested on his porch taking in the soft breeze of the morning. Deep in concentration, he found himself lost in his meditation. Peace overcame him, but he knew it wouldn't last long. Soon she would run into him and tightly wrap his torso in her arms like she did every day. There was no escape once she grabbed him, and from experience, he was starting to wonder if it was just easier to give in. He scowled wishing she'd stop with the extreme public affection. He had no time for it and it got in the way of his training. However, he just sighed knowingly and began to await the inevitable.

Four hours passed, but she hadn't come. Garu opened an eye questioningly, scanning his surroundings in search for any hint of red and black peeking beyond a tree; however, there was nothing but a lush sea of green. With a sigh of relief, he arose from his meditation position, grabbing his sword. He had promised Abyo that they would spar in the meadow at noon and then go to the Gorah for lunch. He thought that she must be there then if she wasn't here. If there was one thing she loved almost as much as him, it was her uncles and their beloved restaurant. He could never eat in peace there. She'd always dash to his table, hand him his dish, and shower him in kisses while he ate. He smirked thinking how nice it would be to eat alone in peace as he trudged towards the meadow.

"GARU, you're late!" yelled Abyo as Garu finally approached the tree where Abyo had been smashing his nunchucks against. Ching stood next to the tree, watching Abyo in admiration. Garu rolled his eyes as Abyo continued, "Ching and I found this new cool move from the one and only Master Seong!"

This suddenly perked Garu's interest. He questionly raised his eyebrow at the duo. Master Seong was one of the most famous ninjas of all time, but he had mysteriously disappeared 20 years prior. All of his techniques were hidden away and thought to be lost for all entirety like their creator himself. There was no way they had found a copy of it.

Understanding his doubt, Abyo dashed to Garu handing him a worn and yellowed scroll which Garu took carefully and slowly opened. The move was labeled Hidden Shadows in a sloppy scrawl. He quickly scanned the illustrations of the techniques before reaching a bundle of letters at the bottom. Master Seong's signature. Garu's breath hitched as he repeatedly gazed at the small, yet sloppy print. Garu then looked up excitedly at Abyo who held a smug look on his face.

Ching turned to Garu. "The chefs at the Gohran found it in the back of their supplies and they just gave it to us, can you believe it?" she smiled sweetly. "They even said we could go back and check for more!"

"So sparring is postponed so we can go look for more!" Abyo yelled. "Also, I'm starving. I could go for some noodles."

The trio began down the meadow towards the town when it suddenly struck Garu. The chefs were her uncles. They had to have had a strong relationship with Master Seong in order to possess this scroll. Did she also have a connection to him? He aggressively shook his head and pushed the thought out of his mind. He had one goal now. Finding those scrolls.

As the trio approached the Gohran, they were met with the delicious aroma of chichang noodles. Abyo's stomach growled longingly as he kicked the door in. Garu cringed, not only at Abyo's "Martial arts" display, but at the realization she had to be here ready to pounce on him. His eyes scanned the room as they walked to their table, but the only person serving seemed to be Dada, who was struggling to not drop the 25 bowls he had stacked upon each other. After only dropping 5 of them, Dada trudged clumsily to their table to take their orders before walking back into the kitchen. As the kitchen door flung open, Garu tried to catch a glimpse of her, but only saw her uncles furiously cooking. As much as Garu hated to admit it, he was starting to worry. Where was she?

As if she had read his mind, Ching asked her companions what he was wondering. Garu shrugged at her question, and Abyo, more focused on the arriving food, shook his head.

"I haven't seen her all day," Abyo spat out between large bites of noodles. "It's really weird if Garu hasn't seen her either. She'd be all over him by now normally."

Ching made a disgusted face at Abyo, while Garu wiped the boy's half eaten food off his face.

Reaching for his napkin, Garu looked up and saw her. She stood on the indoor stairs of the Gohran, tightly gripping a small, elaborate red box in her hand. Her normally upright perfect buns were now falling apart and strains of her hair covered her face. Their eyes locked, and Garu saw a look a fear and distress in hers instead of the normal loving glisten she always had for him. Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but nothing but breathless gasps escaped. The two continued staring deeply into each other's eyes as if they were partaking in the most intense conversation of their lives until Garu peeled his attention away to address Abyo's repeated remarks.

"Garu, we need to go ask the chefs where the scrolls are, come ON!" Abyo whined. He had long since scarfed down his whole meal and was now impatiently bouncing in his chair. Garu nodded before returning his eyes to the spot where she had been, only to find she had disappeared. He scanned the room, expecting a sneak attack, but saw nothing. Though confused by her sudden disappearance, Garu stood up and followed Ching and Abyo who had dashed into the kitchen upon his note of approval.

As Garu approached the kitchen door, he began to ponder what was wrong with her. Her lack of affection, her messy look, the little red box. It was so unlike her to just stare at him, but do nothing. He cleared his thoughts, ready to open the door, but was stopped as it flung open revealing an excited Abyo.

"Follow me, Garu! I know where to find them now. HIYA!" Abyo ripped his shirt off before dashing off to the stairs where she had been standing moments prior. Abyo back flipped up the first few steps, yelling his martial arts styles as he completed them. Ching followed looking slightly annoyed with the boy's continuous outbursts, but soon broke into giggles as Abyo tripped up the last few steps. After taking one final look around the dining area for her, Garu turned and began scaling the steps his friends had gone up.

As he ascended the stairwell, Garu looked at the family photos aligning the wall. Pictures of her uncles smiling and cooking were placed in between photos of her in the restaurant. Garu began to notice a running trend. She was always alone or only with her uncles in the pictures, but she was never with anyone that could look like her parents. Where were they? ...Could she possibly be more similar to him than he initially thought? Garu paused at a photo of her and himself. It was from her tenth birthday party many years ago. She was practically strangling him within her death hug. Garu's eyes locked onto her lovestruck face. What secrets were hiding within this girl he had thought he knew?

Garu's concentration was suddenly broken as he heard a loud bang from up ahead. Sprinting up the rest of the stairs, he was greeted to Abyo's loud cries and Ching's scoulding.

"Abyo, what were you thinking busting into her room like that! That's no way to treat a lady. I would have slammed the door on you too if I was her," Ching began angrily.

Garu rolled his eyes at Abyo's antics before turning to the slammed door in question. His heart stopped momentarily. It was her room. The room where Abyo thought the scrolls were. Why would she have them? What was her connection?

Ignoring his friends' bickering, Garu approached the closed door and paused right at its foothold. He took in a deep breath, knowing what would happen if he went in. The suffocating hug, the soft repeated kisses, her sweet smile. Garu stopped himself, wondering what had come over him. He had never described her persistent affections like that before. Shaking his head, he reasoned to himself he would most likely not even have to face it once he opened this door. Something with her was not normal today. Her broken look from earlier flashed through his mind. He wanted answers.

Without knocking, Garu pushed her door open and slid into her room.

He needed to see Pucca.


	2. Chapter 2

Blinding pink scorched Garu's eyes as he entered her room. Slowly glancing towards his newfound surroundings, Garu was greeted by dozens of photos of himself with his admirer sprinkled into a few of them. He tore his vision from his own face to search the room for the lady in question. She was perched upon the edge of her bed tightly gripping the same small red box he had seen her holding earlier. The top was now partially ajar, and Garu could see a tiny glimmer inside the box. Her eyes met his in horror, causing her to slam the lid in her haste. Confused by her absurd actions, Garu began to shuffle over to her, hesitantly opening his mouth as if to question her. Distress flooded her features, worrying Garu only further. Where was the once giggling girl who could never resist him?

Before reaching her, Abyo dashed into the room and flew past him with Ching close on his trail. He lifted the scroll and pushed it into the troubled girl's face.

Bouncing up and down, he yelled, "Pucca, Pucca, Pucca! The chefs said you knew where to find more Master Seong scrolls similar to this one! Can you get them for us so we can become master ninjas?!"

She shrugged, silently sliding the red box under her pillow before pushing herself off the bed. Garu took note of her continued secretive streak.

Seizing the scroll from Abyo's palm, she carefully examined its contents before slightly sighing. She placed the scroll on her sheets before reaching underneath her bed to pull out a large wooden crate. The side read "Do not open" in a hasty scrawl, one Garu immediately recognized as Master Seong's. His face drained. Why did she have this missing master's secret scrolls hidden within the intimate confines of her room?

Abyo hollered in excitement and quickly dived into the crate's contents, coming up for air only to pretend to do martial arts moves.

"Ching, prepare to watch me master moves no one has ever even seen before! HIYA!" He ripped his shirt once again, throwing the tattered pieces into Garu's face. Abyo then pulled his nunchucks out and began to spin them excitedly before accidently smacking himself square in the face.

Between her following fit of giggles, Ching questioned to her female friend, "Where on earth did you find this, Pucca? Did you always know where these scrolls were?"

The girl in question shook her head no, keeping her eyes locked onto the floor instead of directed at Ching.

"Oh! So you just found it? Was it hidden or something? Can we see where?" Ching continued to innocently inquire.

The bun-haired girl hesitated slightly before nodding and walking to her bedroom door, motioning Ching to follow. Garu held his breath wondering if she would finally lead him to the answers he had been wanting. He threw Abyo's torn shirt to the ground and began after the girls, leaving the now shirtless martial artist to go through the crate of scrolls alone.

The girls had already scaled far ahead in the hallway, forcing Garu to jog in order to catch up. The silent girl leading the way suddenly halted at a small door near the end of the Goh-Rong's main hall. Bits of dry wallpaper and planks of broken wooden boards littered the floor around the door. Garu turned his head upwards to meet her disgruntled face. Another strand of hair fell from her buns, slightly blocking her eyesight, but no one could miss the hardened glisten within her eyes. She must have done this, he reasoned. She destroyed the wall to find this hidden door. But why?

Garu watched her almost instinctively reach for the hidden handle to thrust the door open. Dust and ash flew out of the room and slashed their faces. Garu and Ching broke into a massive coughing fit, but their friend simply entered the dark room.

Still endeavoring to catch their breath, the two trudged in after her. Shock ravaged their faces as they finally took a good glance at the contents of the room. There appeared to be tons of weapons and scrolls sitting in abandoned boxes. Upon closer inspection, Garu realized all of these belongings bore the name or mark of Master Seong. Were all of his lost items possibly located here? Everything here did seemed to have a connection to him.

Garu turned to the one who had led them there, noticing she remained more silent than normal. Her eyes remained locked to the floor and refused to move, and a sharp scowl painted the normally soft features of her round face. Garu wondered why these mere weapons and scrolls would evoke this reaction in her. She had alway been comfortable around his sword and ninja stars never thinking twice about the danger they possessed. And previously, ninja scrolls and books never seemed to bother her. She had even crafted her own for him that had accidently fallen into Abyo's careless hands in a hilarious incident. What was wrong with these?

A soft thud landed behind Garu attracting his attention. Turning to the sound's source, Garu found a small wooden photo frame that had landed face down. He crept over and picked the frame off the ground. He then flipped to the photo it held and released an audible gasp. The photo contained Master Seong scarfing down chichang noodles with a pleasant look plastered on his stiff angular face. The concerning part of the photo was who was surrounding the missing master: the Goh-Rong's famous chefs, Dumpling, Ho, and Linguine. The three chefs sat around Master Seong, eating their signature chichang noodles with him as well. What was truly strange, however, was how young the chefs looked. They seemed to be more youthful than Garu had ever seen them before. Almost as if…

Garu paused; disbelief covered his face. Could this picture have been from 20 years ago? From the time before Master Seong disappeared? Did the master once live in Sooga Village and partake in the normal tradition of eating at the Goh-Rong? Or was there a deeper connection between these four individuals?

Before pondering further the yellowed and torn photo's significance, a loud scream erupted from outside the room.

"That sounded like Abyo!" Ching exhaled in horror, dashing out of the room to her crush. The other two quickly followed after their friend.

Bursting into the Garu shrine room, the three were let down to only see Abyo in perfect health, clutching a new scroll in his fist.

"Abyo, what are you thinking making so much noise? We thought you were under attack! What did you find that's so important?" Ching roared, causing the chicken on her head, Won, to ruffle his feathers in response.

Abyo ran to her and clenched her hand tightly, evoking a spiralling blush across Ching's face. "I think I found a map to where Master Seong disappeared to! Now we can really be heroes and go rescue him and have him teach us all his secret ninja techniques!" The shirtless boy could barely contain his joy, but his peers seemed much more hesitant.

"Abyo," Ching began, taking the scroll from him to examine, "there is no way Master Seong would have... simply…" Her eyes opened wide, with a new smile plastering across her face. "Left a map leading straight to his location on Mount Hallasan!"

She tossed the scroll to her other two friends before Abyo encaged her in a skyward bear hug. Garu grabbed the scroll mid-air and pulled it open for him and the silent girl beside him to see. It was a map leading to Hallasan just as Abyo and Ching had described. On the bottom a note was inscribed that stated: "The heart's destiny awaits." Garu turned to the girl beside him, but she had already moved away toward her bedroom window.

"Guys, we totally need to go on a quest to find Master Seong! I mean, come on, Garu. He's one of your biggest idols! Imagine being the one to find him after all these years." Abyo rambled to his friends.

Garu was more curious about learning the secrets of Master Seong's personal life more than his ninja skills at this point. He glanced at his admirer by the window, taking note of how much she had paled through their conversation. Her eyes made desperate flashes towards the red box hidden under her pillow. Feeling a pang of sympathy for her, Garu wanted to reach out and try to comfort the troubled girl. However, emotions were not a concept he was intune with. For years, he was left alone, endeavoring to remove the binding claws of guilt over the dishonor he had brought to his family. He had suffered in silence, locking his emotions away to focus on his sole goal: regaining what he had lost. He no longer knew how to ease someone drowning in an unknown, emotional sea.

"Garu! GARU!"

The boy's attention snapped back to reality at the sound of his name. It was Abyo who had been calling him.

"So are you in with us on this quest or not?" Abyo asked impatiently.

Garu paused, worrying about the future. About what he would find on this trip. What it would do to the troubled girl silently suffering. He knew she'd follow him anywhere. His decision would seal hers as well. But he had to know. No matter what.

Garu nodded, a determined look shining from behind his eyes.

"So it's settled," Ching smiled, "Tomorrow we board a boat and leave for Hallasan to find Master Seong! Let's head home and pack for the trip."

Abyo and Ching sauntered out of the Goh-Rong, eagerly chatting about their future adventure. Garu lagged behind wanting to take one final look at a certain girl. She remained at her bedroom window, sadness still glistening in her eyes. Her dark pupils hovered on Garu's face before she suddenly turned from the window leaving him to stare at an empty spot where something familiar once stood.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was empty and shallow. Clouds hung low in the sky with few rays of sunlight peeking through. Garu thought it matched the mood of his admirer as he watched her chuck her bag into the back of the boat Abyo's father rented for them. It was a small rickety boat that could barely hold the four friends, much less their navigator, Santa. Nevertheless, the poorly-equipped vehicle stood as their only option to go to Mount Hallasan.

The crew packed into the boat, Garu snagging a seat in the back next to the solemn Pucca. She looked rough, as though she had not slept all night. Her buns once again hung loosely and stray hairs clung to the sides of her face. Her eyes flashed blankly as though she was not entirely there with them. A pang of guilt shot through Garu. He knew he was the one forcing her to come along to something she obviously did not want to go to, but he still possessed hope that this journey would not only give him answers but possibly restore his honor. He had to go through with this.

Santa kicked the boat off the dock and began rowing towards Mount Hallasan. Abyo and Ching sat behind him, giggling amongst themselves.

"Just imagine, Ching. Me, the hero that rescued long-lost Master Seong! How much fame and money do you think I'll get?" Abyo yelled excitedly.

Ching slapped his arm gently. "Abyo! You know we're all in this together! To be honest, we don't even know if Master Seong wants to be rescued… but can you imagine? Us finding him after all these years! I wonder what kind of amazing ninja techniques he could teach us."

The two continued flirting aimlessly, forcing Garu to groan to himself. He turned to his only other companion in the boat, noticing her gripping at her sleeve. His eyes narrowed, trying to spot what was causing her so much distress. A hint of shiny red inside her sleeve caught his eye, causing him to sit up in surprise. It was the red box she had hidden under her pillow yesterday. Why did she bring it? Why was it making her so uneasy? He began to reach for her before someone's booming laughter interrupted him.

"Ho, ho, ho! Do you youngsters know of the story behind Mount Hallasan?" Santa asked from the front of the boat.

"All we know is that Master Seong is there, and we're going to rescue him! HI-YA!" Abyo screamed out.

"Oh ho ho. That's a pity that's all you care about. They say Mount Hallasan is the closest you can get to reaching the moon goddess, Dalmin."

"Dalmin?" Ching questioned, "I'm afraid I haven't heard much of her, sir."

"Haven't heard much of the moon goddess?" Santa stopped rowing and turned towards her. "Why she's the pure-hearted girl who managed to climb to the heavens with her brother and save herself from a vicious tiger! She then became the moon and was granted with many mythical powers. You're visiting her sacred area, and don't even know this about her?"

The story intrigued and confused Garu. He had heard the story before of the young girl becoming the moon goddess, but what worried him was why would Master Seong go missing on her "sacred mountain." If this moon goddess was real, did she have something to do with his disappearance? He turned his head towards the girl beside him and saw the discomfort carved into her face. The story seemed to elicit some deep emotion from within her. She shook softly, her eyes misting over. Garu held his hand out, reaching for hers. He wanted to comfort her, keep her from this pain, but his face began burning and doubt pummeled his mind. He feared getting too close to her, her neverending hugs and kisses. He had his own mission, his own quests. He could not open up to her and possibly ruin himself. Garu withdrew his hand before it even grazed hers. He looked up, seeing they had reached the foot of the island harboring Mount Hallasan.

"Ho, ho, ho! This is where your ride ends!" bellowed Santa as the four teenagers grabbed their bags and exited the boat. The jolly man then began rowing away from the island.

"Heyy!" Abyo yelled out, waving his hands frantically, "Where do you think you're going? We need you to take us back after we find Master Seong!"

"Well, you should have told your father that when he only paid me for the trip here. Merry Christmas!" Santa disappeared into the fog of the sea, leaving the group stranded on the island.

"What on earth are we going to do now? We're trapped!" Abyo screamed, digging trenches into the sandy beach.

Ching rested a hand on his shoulder. "Abyo, please, relax! We'll find a way out of this. We're with Pucca, remember? She knows how to get out of any problem!"

Upon hearing her name, Garu turned towards the girl who seemed extremely disoriented and unfocused on the issue at hand. Her unbreakable gaze met the top of Mount Hallasan. It seemed as though she was drawn to the mountain top. She inhaled uneasily and began walking towards the base of the mountain.

Her sudden movement snapped Abyo out of his worrying. "I guess Pucca has the right idea! We'll find Master Seong first and then think of a way out!" He pulled out the map to Master Seong and dashed ahead of Pucca to lead the way.

Garu stayed back focusing on the dazzed girl before he felt a slight tug at his shirt. He turned his head and saw Ching as the culprit.

"Garu, I'm worried about Pucca," Ching whispered into his ear. "She hasn't really been… herself lately. I know you can see it too. Please keep an eye on her for me? I trust you the most and you're probably the only one that can save Pucca from whatever is wrong with her. Please try to be nicer to her as well. It would mean a lot to me."

Garu nodded solemnly to Ching, forming a silent pack between the two. He did not want anything bad to happen to Pucca whether she was just his friend or…

The loud snapping of branches broke his concentration, as Garu looked up to see Pucca had bolted off ahead of the group in high pursuit of something. Despite the concerned yelling of his other friends, Garu sprinted ahead after the girl, fruitlessly trying to keep up with her. All of a sudden she hit the ground, pinning something to the hardened dirt. Horror flashed through Garu's eyes as he saw what she had contained: an middle-aged man who eyes were blinded with tears. The man struggled to speak, but only empty sobs escaped his lips. Pucca raised her fist high in the air, and Garu caught wind of a mysterious white glow from inside her clenched palm. Her eyes screamed murder as her fist sprung towards the man's face. Garu launched himself forward, taking the blunt of her hit. The force sent him spiraling backwards into the dirt. The hit blurred his vision, and as Garu tried to lift himself from the ground, he saw shaky glimpses of the girl, her hands covering her mouth, streams of blue drifting down her face. He watched as she ran off before succumbing to the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

"Janchi...Janchi...Janchi!"

Garu's eyes shot open. His senses collided with a soft mist in the air and the sounds of birds chirping. He tried to focus his vision as he pushed himself up. His eyes met a roaring waterfall and a vast sea of green trees. Sliding his hands on the ground, he felt a mixture of sand and pebbles. Small waves graced his toes from the body of water he laid at the foot of. The sky shone brightly without a cloud in sight.

Garu had never been to this place before; however, his urge to panic laid dormant, kept silent by the lulling surroundings he found himself in. This place seemed otherworldly. It was too harmonious, and he had thought that his little house locked away in the forest was remote.

A splash echoed in the air, momentarily shattering the peace. Garu snapped his body toward the sound, ready to fight, but he was only met with a single white deer. The deer was enormous and its antlers reached high towards the heavens. An intense staredown commenced between the two. Garu refused to look away, wanting to be prepared for anything the deer might do. Eventually though, it seemed the deer had enough of the boy and it turned its attention to the water, bending down for a drink.

"Don't mind Joon Woo, darling. You know he enjoys messing with those that come to his secret watering spot." A soft voice called from behind Garu.

Garu turned to see the source of the voice and grunted out of shock. An extremely tall woman stood behind him. Her long black hair framed the sides of her round face and then fell to her feet. She adorned a long flowing white dress that seemed brighter than anything he had ever seen before. Her dark brown eyes sparkled endlessly. Garu had never believed that someone could be that stunning.

Her bright red lips broke into a smile as she noticed his stare. "Janchi, you always somehow manage to look even more surprised each time you see me. I can't possibly be that different after the hundredth time."

Her voice reminded Garu of velvet, and he began to shake as she came closer to him, practically gliding over the surrounding rocks and sand.

She sat next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Not even the sand or pebbles she laid in seemed to diminish the brightness of her dress, and her hair never seemed to stop flowing, as if a gentle breeze followed her wherever she went. She turned to meet Garu face-to-face.

"Janchi, I want to talk to you about something." Her face took a sudden turn downward as a hint of sadness glistened in her eyes.

Garu stared back confused. His senses were finally returning to him after the initial shock of seeing her. Why did she keep calling him this weird name, 'Janchi?' He scanned his memories to see if anyone had ever given him this name before but came up blank. He swore he had never seen this woman before, but something about her nagged the back of his mind. She was… familiar to him, as if he had known this stranger for many years. He locked onto her deep eyes. The glimmer behind them and the warmth inside of them made him feel as if he had seen them multiple times before. She evoked a deep feeling in him that only one other person had ever made him feel.

"Dalsun, please. I know you want this more than anything, but think of the consequences!" A booming male voice spooked Garu. He tried to turn around to search for the source of the voice, but found himself unable to move. His head, his arms, his legs were not moving according to his own will anymore. Garu tried to glance down to see why, but he could not. His arm began to rise to meet the woman's face, and Garu's heart stopped cold. The hand was not his own. It was bare, lacking his signature red glove, and it was much older and hardened than his own. Garu's mouth began to move and the same male voice from before escaped from it.

"You know of the curse. Fulfilling your wish will put all of us in danger, even your wish itself! I love you, and I want you to be happy, but please, Dalsun, understand that we can't." The male voice was soaked in melancholy, as though each word dug a hole deeper and deeper into his heart.

Realization dawned on Garu. He was somehow in the body of this Janchi man experiencing his sensations and this conversation. He was a silent witness to the drama unfolding before him.

"Maybe… maybe the curse won't happen," the woman's voice became shaky. Tears began to stream down the sides of her face. As one of her tears dropped to a rock below her, a loud clap of thunder and a shot of lightning streaked across the once clearless sky. Garu felt Janchi's head turn upwards, and he saw darkening clouds begin to swirl around where the two of them sat. Was this woman, Dalsun, causing this sudden change in the weather? This scenario felt familiar to Garu, as if he had experienced it before. Heavy raindrops began falling onto them.

"Dalsun… look around you. Do you really think it won't happen?" Janchi cupped her face, wiping away some of her tears. Pain shot through her eyes as she grabbed his hand and rested it towards her lap. The brewing storm momentarily halted.

"It doesn't matter anyways now."

"What?... Dalsun, what are you sayin-"

"I'm already pregnant."

Garu felt burning ride throughout his body before once again his vision faded to black.


	5. Chapter 5

Garu jolted awake, feeling disoriented. The searing pain from before clung to his body, as he tried to process everything that he had just seen. He scanned his current surroundings, finding himself laying in a bed within small wooden hut he had never seen before in his life.

Fear shot through him as he glanced down at his body to check if it was actually his this time. He felt intense relief at the sight of his signature ninja outfit that he was never without. The top bore the mark of his family, and when he finally restored his honor, he wanted to ensure that this was the piece of clothing he was wearing. Because of this though, the outfit had seen better days and was rattled with stitches. One delicate stitch stuck out in particular to him, the stitch she had made. He could still remember how it came to be...

From his years alone, he knew the basics of how mend rips. He was rather amature but could get the job done. However, for one large tear in his outfit he received in an especially long battle with Tobe, he decided he needed extra help. As the sun fell over the horizon, Garu scaled the wall of the Goh-Rong to find the room of his admirer. At his first knock, she appeared instantly at the window, a humongous grin plastered across her face. He dropped to the floor of her room and stuck his damaged possession out at arms' length to try to keep her from hugging him. Confusion wrung her face at first, but upon examining the outfit closer, a knowing smile graced her sweet lips. She lifted the piece from him and moved to her vanity, racking the drawers for something. She pulled out a needle and string and proceeded to fix the tear. Garu's face burned the entire time. He was embarrassed to ask for help. In his mind, an honorable ninja should be self-reliant. In no way could his current actions be honorable. And though he did not want to admit it, he was also embarrassed at the fact here he was just perched on his admirer's bed, her most personal place. He should have been covered in kisses by now, but she just sat there working deliberately.

She looked so innocent and calm as she mended his outfit. Her face, wrinkled in concentration, made his own face feel flustered in response. His heart pounded against his chest with each stitch she made. Why was he feeling this way? This girl that had bugged him for years, clinging to his body, showering him with kisses, all of a sudden evoked some sort of deep emotion within him. He hated these emotions. They were only distractions, weaknesses he liked to call them. How could he regain his honor if he was too busy fawning over any girl that batted her eyes at him?

Suddenly, she looked up and their eyes locked. She smiled shyly at him, only furthering this weird emotion in him. That was when he noticed her eyes. The same deep brown that seemed otherworldly. The same deep brown of…

A loud cough broke Garu's memory. He turned to face the source and was greeted with a middle-aged man approaching him. Garu's eyes shot open in surprise. This man was the same one his admirer pinned to the ground. He appeared much more composed than previously, with the tears dried from his face. The man sauntered over to him with what appeared to be a limp before finally sitting down in a chair next to the bed Garu laid in.

"Finally awake, are we?" the man smirked down at Garu's wide eyes. "And confused too, huh?"

The man handed Garu a small glass of water before speaking again. "Don't be alarmed. I will not hurt you. I have no desire to," he chuckled. "Besides you did, in fact, save me from quite the nasty punch. I owe you for that." His face lowered momentarily before he continued.

"How are you feeling, anyway? I tried to make some homemade medicine for you, but I'm quite limited on this island."

Garu continued to stare at the man, refusing to break eye contact. He still did not trust him. There had to be a reason why he evoked such a strong response from his admirer, and it probably was not a good one.

The man gazed lazily back at Garu, seemingly unfazed by his harsh stare. "Hmm, not one to talk? I suppose your friends were serious when they said you had this vow of silence for honor."

Garu's ears perked at the mention of his friends. He nodded expectantly, waiting for the man to give him further details.

"Ching and Abyo? I think that's what they said their names were?" the man paused in reflection before continuing. "They ran after your other friend, the one that hit you. She's quite the strong girl, isn't she?" He chuckled softly. Garu felt a sudden warmth grace his cheeks at the mention of her. His hand quickly reached up to mask his face.

"Anyway, your friends told me to aid in regaining your strength while they went after your other friend. They wanted to make sure you were better since you apparently mean the world to her." The man smirked down at Garu.

Much to his utter annoyance, Garu's face began to burn again. He wanted to snap at this man and scream that he was not her boyfriend, but Garu was much too preoccupied with finding her. Her seemingly random fit of aggression from before coupled with her secretive behavior worried him. He needed to get to the bottom of this.

Garu struggled to push himself out of bed, but his body wriggled in pain before collapsing. The man grabbed Garu's waist and helped the boy to a more comfortable position before handing him another small cup of what appeared to be some herbal tea.

"You are in too much pain, Garu. Your body is not ready for such startled movements," the man eyed the tea now in Garu's clutches. "Drink this. It will help you regain your strength. I've used this remedy countless times from my various ninja disasters."

Garu's eyebrow sprung up at the man's last remark before spazzing across his face upon the bitter tea constricting his dried throat. The man caught on anyway.

"Why are you so surprised I would be involved in the same ninja antics as you? I am somewhat insulted you do not recognize me. Then again, I suppose it has been many years…"

Confusion wrung Garu's face. What on Earth was this man blabbering about? Why would he know anything about some beaten up old man that hung out in the woods? Unless it was true and they had actually stumbled upon the hiding place of…

"I am Master Seong, legendary ninja master and the author of the 1,000 Hidden Shadow Techniques." The man smirked at Garu's shocked impression.

Garu knew the disbelief marked across his face must have made him look like an idiot, but he couldn't help it. The Master Seong was sitting with him right now. The Master Seong, his childhood hero, had brought him back to health. He had blocked a hit aimed towards the Master Seong.

He should have been focused on this. Focused on attempting to illustrate a million questions to his idol: Where have you been? Why did you leave? Were you originally from my village? Can you teach me all 1,000 of your techniques? Yet, Garu's mind kept drifting back to her. He couldn't shake her crestfallen face from his eyes. Must she always have this effect on him!

As if he could read Garu's mind, Master Seong questioned the boy. "Do you know where your friend could have run off to? Where she might have wanted to go on this island?"

Garu scanned his memories, searching for a hint that could help him form a solid answer. He remember her longing glance towards the peak of the mountain the moment they stepped off the boat. Garu turned towards a nearby window and saw the same mountain in the horizon. Through his pain, he stretched his arm outwards to the mountain top.

Master Seong's face soured instantly at this action. Panic flickered behind his eyes as he snapped his head back to Garu and solemnly asked, "I heard this girl loves you with all her heart, yet do you love her the same?"

The color from Garu's face flushed. Why would this legendary ninja master care at all about his love life? Why would he think he deserved an answer to such a private and ridiculous question?

Garu's pause seemed to strike a nerve with Master Seong. If the master had seemed somewhat panicked before, he was definitely panicked now. He pulled Garu to his feet and dragged the boy out the door. He trudged off towards the mountain with Garu lagging not too far behind. Garu could swear he heard the man mutter under his breath, "We cannot be too late… we will find them… I will ...sa..my…d..." before his words jumbled together in a string of heavy breathing. Master Seong's sight never left the mountain top.

Through each of his burdened steps, Garu also turned his head upwards, as if by some miracle he would see Pucca eagerly waiting for him.


End file.
